Pressing device for knitting machines



E. NOBLE PRESSING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Nov. 19, 1940.

Filed June 6, 1959' s Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1940. E. NOBLE PRESSING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 6, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 19, 1940. NOBLE 2,222,154

PRESSING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 6, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSIING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Application June 6, 1939, Serial No. 277,723 In France August 23, 1938 l i 4 Claims.

The present invention has for its object im provements in the pressing devices employed upon straight knitting frames provided with hooked needles.

In the manufacture of certain fancy knitted fabrics obtained by pressing, and of anti-ravel knitted fabrics, it is necessary to obtain successively, either the pressing of all the needles, or

,q of the even-numbered needles, or of the odd- 10 numbered needles.

In order to operate for these three methods of pressing, it is a matter of known practice to employ a set of pivoted strips, provided with springs, corresponding to the number of the 15 needles, which are mounted on the knock over comb. An auxiliary bar which is horizontally movable and can be displaced longitudinally by one needle division or pitch, cooperates with the said pivoted strips in order to bring them be- 20' fore the needles during the pressing action. The front face of the bar is cut out, to the pitch of the needle division, to form a recess and a tooth in alternate disposition, in such manner that V for the odd-numbered pressing, the teeth of said auxiliary bar will drive out the odd-numbered pivoted strips during the pressing process. In an analogous manner, the even-numbered strips will be moved forward, during the pressing process, after a longitudinal displacement of the auxso ilary bar by one needle division.

This arrangement requires the suspension of the auxiliary bars from arms and longitudinal shaft, and the lengthwise displacement by one needle division must be given to this whole de- 35"vice.

When all the needles are to be closed, the auxiliary pressing device is moved back in order that all the strips shall come against the front face of the sinker guiding member; a different movement of the needles in the horizontal direction is obtained in this latter case.

This device shows various drawbacks, as follows.

The strips whose axle is mounted on the frame of the knock over comb will participate in all the movements of the comb, and thus at the end of the knocking over, the upper ends of the strips are brought forward and will come between the needle of the selvedge and the tube of the yarn guide, thus forming loops in the yarn at the selvedge of the knitted fabric, so that the fabric will also be drawn forward and will be held between the sinker and the strip.

The auxiliary pressing bar, which holds the strips in their forward position for the pressing,

is subjected to a considerable bending stress, due to the action of the springs used for each strip. Its section is limited by the size of the adjacent parts, such as the comb and the sinker guiding members, and it can only be attached at its ends. In consequence, its operation is not very reliable for the widths of the guiding members required for stocking manufacture (16 inches).

Moreover, the displacements, by one needle division, of the whole combination of the auxiliary press, arms and shaft, for the odd-numbered or even-numbered pressing, will not afford the desired precision, in the machines used for lower counts.

Other arrangements are also known, which provide for the pressing of the odd-numbered and the even-numbered needles, but these consist in the use of auxiliary notched presses which are mounted below the main press and are subject to lengthwise displacement by one needle division, for the alternating of the odd-numbered and the even-numbered pressings, and they require two heights and two different forward movements of the needles for the partial pressings (odd or. even) and for the general pressmg.

The present invention has for its object an improved pressing device which obviates the various drawbacks of the known devices.

The said device is chiefly characterized by the fact that it is so arranged that on the one hand, the pressing parts will act upon each needle above the lower plane of the sinker, and in the same position, whatever be the nature of the pressing, and that on the other hand they may disappear after the pressing has been effected, so as to avoid all contact between the selvedge yarn and the pressing teeth.

The pressing parts, which have a forward movement without lengthwise displacement, and which are guided under the sinker guiding member, form an assemblage having a simple construction and a reliable operation, and free from bending.

In the accompanying drawings which are given solely by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section and Fig. 2 a plan view of a pressing device according to the invention, in the idle position.

Figs. 3 and 4 are like views in the position for even-numbered pressing.

Figs. 5 and 6 correspond to the odd-numbered pressing.

Figs. 7 and 8 represent the general pressing. 55

Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view of the pressing parts on a large scale.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the controlling mechanism for the pressing parts.

In the embodiment herein represented, the device comprises two blades I and 2 whose front faces are crenellated by two needle divisions and are superposed in such manner that their teeth I and 2 will engage and slide in their respective notches, between the sinkers 3.

The blades I and 2 are guided longitudinally by bearing members 4 which are located at each end of the sinker guiding member 5 and are held by screws 6.

The ends of the blades I and 2 are provided with respective screw-pins I, 'l and 8, 8 whose lower ends are engaged in respective grooves 9, 9 and I0, IIl which are cut obliquely in the form of inclines in a flat bar II, in such way that the suitable movements of said bar will cause, by the action of the inclines on the said pins the separate or simultaneous forward motion of the blades I and 2.

The operation is as follows:

Pressing for the even members.Starting from the idle position (Figs. 1 and 2) the forward motion of the blade 2 for the pressing of the evennumbered needles A is effected by the movement of the bar II in the direction of the arrow f (Fig. 4) according to a stroke 01. The inclines 9 and 9 make contact with the respective pins 8 and 8 and displace them as far as the top part of the incline corresponding to the common pressing line XY of the blades I and 2. The even-numbered needles A are pressed, while the odd-numbered needles B are not pressed.

Pressing for the odd members.-The forward motion of the blade I for pressing the odd-numbered needles B (Figs. 5 and 6) is effected by the movement of the bar II in the direction of the arrow f (in the contrary direction to the pressing for the even members) on a stroke 02, and the inclines I0 and II) now actuate the pins I and 1 Total pressing.The simultaneous forward motion of the blades I and 2 (Figs. '7 and 8) for the total pressing of the needles, is effected by the movement of the bar II in the same direction as before (arrow f or I on a stroke 03. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the bar II has been moved in the direction of the arrow (in the same direction as in the preceding case, Fig. 6). The inclines. Ill and Ifl have now actuated the respective pins I, 8 and l 8 It is obvious that after each pressing operation, the bar II is brought to the idle position of pressing. However, this drive can be better obtained by the means which will be further described and are shown in Fig. 10.

In this embodiment, a cam I2 acts upon a vlever I3 provided with a roller I4 adapted for uncoupling. The said lever actuates, by means of a rack I5, two pinions I6, I! which are in mutual gear engagement and are keyed to respective shafts I6 and H On the said shafts are loosely mounted two respective pinions I8, I9 of smaller size which are not geared together but are both engaged with. a horizontal rack 20 which is extended by the bar II. The shafts Ili I'I have slidably keyed thereto two respective Jaw-clutches 2|, 22 which are operated by respective forks 23, 24 secured to links provided with forked members 25, 26 which latter are connected by bell-cranks 21, 28 and by links provided with forked members 29, 30, to levers 3|, 32 respectively, which levers are actuated by a toothed counter 33. Thus the clutches 2I, 22 will connect either of the pinions I8, I9 with the corresponding shaft I6 or Il Moreover, the roller I4 operating on the cam I2 for the normal series and providing the stroke 03 for the general pressing, may be placed upon a cam 34 by means of a fork 35, a link 36 provided with a forked member, a bell-crank 31 and a lever 38, in order to provide for the contrary strokes or or 02 which correspond to the pressing for odd or even numbers, the whole operation being under the selective control of the counter 33.

It will be noted that this arrangement by the clutching of the jaw-clutch 2I or 22, which connects the pinions I6, I8 or IT, I9 together as to rotation provides for the driving of the bar II in either direction, and according as the roller I4 is placed upon the cam I2 or 34, will give to the bar the required amount of movement.

The pressing device as above described provides for the formation of fancy knitted fabric obtained by pressing, as well as for anti-ravel knitted goods, and for all combinations of stitches of this order which are obtained by the different alternations of partial pressing and of the pressing of all the needles.

Such arrangements can be obtained by the disposition of the teeth on the counter 33.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the embodiment herein described and represented, which is given solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a straight knitting machine having at least one row of hooked needles and sinkers between said needles, in combination two plates under said sinkers adapted to be moved in a direction at right angles to said row of needles and each provided with teeth projecting above the lower side of said sinkers and facing each second needle of said row, the teeth of one plate facing the odd-numbered needles and the teeth of the other plate facing the even-numbered needles, and controlling means adapted to move said plates separately and simultaneously towards and away from said row of needles, whereby said plates are adapted to press selectively the odd-numbered needles and the even-numbered needles and to press simultaneously all the needles.

2. In a straight knitting machine having at least one row of hooked needles and sinkers between said needles, in combination two plates under said sinkers adapted to be moved in a direction at right angles to said row of needles and each provided with teeth projecting above the lower side of said sinkers and facing each second needle of said row, the teeth of one plate facing the odd-numbered needles and the teeth of the other plate facing the even-numbered needles, and the teeth of one plate engaging between the teeth of the other plate so that all the teeth have their end faces directed towards said needles in line when said plates are in the inoperative position, and controlling means adapted to move said plates separately and simultaneously towards and away from said row of needles, whereby said plates are adapted to press selectively the odd-numbered needles and the even-numbered needles and to press simultaneously all the needles.

3. A straight knitting machine according to claim 1, in which said controlling means comprises a bar movable in a direction parallel to said row of needles and provided with at least one guiding surface comprising two portions inclined in opposite directions between three portions parallel to said row of needles, at least two bearing surfaces carried respectively by said two plates and adapted to engage said guiding surface and to bear simultaneously against any one of said three parallel portions and separately against two adjacent of said three parallel portions, and means adapted to move said bar towards and away from a mean inoperative position in which said bearing surfaces engage both the middle portion of said guiding surface parallel to said row of needles.

4. A straight knitting machine according to claim 1, in which said controlling means comprises a bar movable in a direction parallel to said row of needles and provided with at least one guiding surface comprising two portions inclined in opposite directions between three portions parallel to said row of needles, at least two bearing surfaces carried respectively by said two plates and adapted to engage said guiding surface and to bear simultaneously against any one of said three parallel portions and separately against two adjacent of said three parallel portions, a driven rack connected with said bar, two shafts rotatably mounted and disposed at right angles with said rack, two pinions loosely mounted on said shafts respectively and meshing both with said rack, two wheels keyed respectively on said shafts and meshing with each other, on each shaft clutching means adapted to connect said shaft with the corresponding pinion, a driving rack meshing with one of said wheels, two rotatable cams adapted to impart difierent strokes to a cam follower, a cam follower connected with said driving rack and adapted to be brought selectively against any one of said two cams, three pivoted levers connected respectively with said clutching means and with said cam follower, and three movable control surfaces adapted to cooperate respectively with said three pivoted levers and to bring said clutching means into operative and inoperative position and said cam follower against any one of said two cams.

EMILE NOBLE. 

